


Re: Harley Keener

by MultiFandomTears



Series: A Study of Tony Stark’s Loved Ones [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drugs, F/M, Harley needs a goddamn hug, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Just Harley states things could have happened to him, M/M, Nothing explicit, Older Man/Younger Man, Partying, Please don’t read if it makes you uncomfortable, Some dubious consent in here due to the underage factor and the drugs/alcohol, Substance Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, and he wouldn’t remember, drug overdose, please put your health first, predatory behaviour, this gets a little intense, this gets kinda dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:09:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21748813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultiFandomTears/pseuds/MultiFandomTears
Summary: Harley knew he had some issues. He’d never really opened up until he met Peter. Well, Peter is the type of person who makes you want to open up, even if it means exposing what you consider your shameful past. Harley’s been hurt before, a lot. But doing this might help him finally heal.
Relationships: Harley Keener/Original Female Characters, Harley Keener/Original Male Characters, Harley Keener/Peter Parker
Series: A Study of Tony Stark’s Loved Ones [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1467355
Comments: 7
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. I decided to explore Harley’s story more because the last fic was quite Peter central. Obviously, not much of Harley’s past has been revealed so this really is all made up. It’s just me exploring a story.

Harley knew he had a rough childhood. There was no denying it. But he could hide it out of shame and fear.

Until Peter Parker.

Peter was the type of person who made you want to be better. No matter who you were, what you’d done, he didn’t judge. Which made it pretty hard to hide anything from him. Harley didn’t want to hide it from Peter, but there was always something that stopped him. Fear. Fear that this would be the one thing Peter couldn’t accept.

And normally, Harley did a pretty good job of repressing everything about his past, but to tell Peter about everything, meant really taking a deep look. Harley couldn’t hide from anything anymore. And Tony always talked about healthy coping mechanisms, so maybe talking to Peter would be his.

——

“Hey, darlin’,” Harley greeted, as he sat on his bed, smiling over at his boyfriend.

“Hi Harls,” Peter responded, shifting over to sit closer to Harley.

“Can I talk to you?” Harley asked, softly.

“You can always talk to me,” Peter assured, a light laugh on his lips. “What’s up?”

“I- uh- I don’t really talk about my past much,” Harley began. “But, I want to tell you about it,”

Sitting up straighter, Peter looked Harley in the eyes.

“Are you sure?” Peter questioned, lovingly.

“Not completely,” Harley admitted. “But, I need to do this. For me,”

——

If Harley really thought about it, most of his problems can be traced back to his childhood. And he doesn’t mean like teenage years, cause they were the result. No, it goes deeper. Harley’s the first to admit, he’s got some serious daddy issues. But, who can blame him? When your daddy leaves one day, it’s messes with your head just a little bit. Slight understatement but, oh well.

Harley hated talking about his dad. That was one of the rules he set up in life. But, if he was screwing all the others, he might as well.

It hurts that, even if he was only five, Harley remembers that night vividly. Maybe a few details had been lost through the years, but not enough to get rid of the pain it’d put him through for, probably, the rest of his life.

Harley normally likes his good memory. He’s got a damn near perfect one. But this is one time he’d love to forget.

That day, Harley’s dad had spent the day at home. He was normally at work so it was like a special little treat. Abbie had just been born but his mama went back to work almost immediately. ‘The people at the diner need me’ she would always say. And Harley would always whine that he needed her more, the clingy shit that he’d been. He hadn’t realised how true it was.

Harley had been playing in the snow with his dad, he’d watched Christmas movies, he’d played with Abbie. It was a normal day. But, it was a good day.

When Abbie had been settled down for bed, Harley’s mama had come back from her shift, a smile on her lips. Harley remembers how he’d shouted for his daddy and had been shushed, cause Abbie would be a nightmare if he woke her up. But, when his daddy had come to greet his mama, it had been all smiles and quiet giggles. The four of them had all been under one roof, a family, complete.

Well, even if Harley’s mama had fallen asleep on the couch, it was still good. His daddy told him not to wake her before pulling on a coat. At the time, Harley had thought it was odd that he had a suitcase with him. He’d just chalked it up to that fact that he was an adult. And adults were weird.

When his daddy hugged him, he said something Harley would never forget:

“You look after your mom and your sister when I’m gone. You’re the man of the house once I’m gone.”

Which really was odd. His daddy was only going to get scratchers. But, oh well, Harley didn’t understand adults.

Harley’s daddy put a letter on the table. Harley wasn’t bothered about reading it, it was just paper.

When his daddy closed the door behind him, Harley couldn’t explain it, but something felt off.

And, when his mama woke up, he finally started to understand.

The first thing she’d done was ask where Harley’s daddy was, which he answered. She calmed down until she spotted the letter, which was when things got bad.

Harley had never heard his mama cry before but, once she got over the shock of the letter, she’d been a wreck. She’d shouted and cried and told Harley to go to his room, which he definitely didn’t understand.

When he’d returned to the living room, Harley saw his mama lying on the couch, surrounded by what looked like an army of different coloured bottles. He’d been too scared to ask, so he’d just gone to bed.

Life was never the same after that.

His mama stopped going to work for a while. She had to look after Abbie. But, when the food started to spread thin and the money ran out, Harley and Abbie spent nearly every day at their grandparents’ house. That was when Harley realised that having a tiny, baby sister wasn’t so fun all the time. He also realised it was his job to protect her. He was the man of the house now.

After a month of tears and confusion, Harley had asked his mama when his daddy was coming home. When his mama told him the truth, it really hit Harley that everything was different now.

He’d never been a crier, but that day he’d hidden in his room and bawled like a baby. But, he couldn’t let his mama or Abbie hear. He had to be strong for them.

What made it worse was his mama’s sad little glances.

He’d always been told “Oh, you look just like your father,”

His mama always sounded so happy and excited when she said it.

But, now that Harley thought about it, Harley’s uncanny resemblance to the man who left her caused his mama nothing but pain. A little part of him died inside every time she looked at him. There was a strange look in her eyes. Harley knew his mama loved him, she told him all the time. But, maybe she hated that she loved him so much when he came from Harley’s daddy. He thinks it was easier for her to raise Abbie, who had no such resemblance.

And that hurt just a little.

Harley never consciously blamed her for that but he knew Abbie was her favourite. But, Harley couldn’t blame his mama, Abbie was a lot of people’s favourite.

Life wasn’t made any easier by Rose Hill, the smallest town in Tennessee, where everybody knew everybody. It was hard to ignore the stares they got in the streets. Each and every person knew what Harley’s daddy did.

Some people told them they were sorry, some laughed, but everyone steered clear mostly.

They’d become freaks in the town they’d always known.

It was only when Harley started kindergarten that things started to change in Rose Hill.

Instead of ignoring him like he expected, Harley’s classmates asked him questions. Some friendly, some not, some that meant well but still stung.

‘Why’d your daddy leave?’

‘Did he cheat on your mama?’

Harley didn’t really appreciate that kind of attention, but what could he do? He couldn’t tell a teacher, they looked at him the same way. Besides, he wasn’t no snitch.

It’s only when the questions became insults and bullying that Harley really started to get upset. He couldn’t understand. He didn’t even know why his daddy left and, suddenly, some other boys were telling him it’s his fault, that he’s just a bad son.

Harley felt like they were right for a really long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, life’s been a bit hectic and I’m sure it’s only going to be worse from here. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy, make sure to look after yourselves and others :)

“Harley, you have to know that they weren’t right,” Peter breathed out. “You weren’t a bad son, you aren’t a bad son,”

“Believe me, darlin’, I was awful,” Harley insisted. “There’s a lot that you don’t know. You might change your mind after that,”

“Nothing could ever make me think you’re a bad person, Harley,” Peter countered, pulling his boyfriend closer. “Nothing,”

“I hope you’re right,” Harley admitted. “‘Cause I couldn’t stand to lose you,”

“You won’t,” Peter promised. “I’m not going anywhere,”

——

Life only got worse in elementary school. More people in a school meant more people could call Harley names. 

Harley enjoyed his classes and wanted to learn, which painted another target on his back, apparently. 

Every day, Harley seemed to come home with a new bruise, but it didn’t matter. The other kids didn’t really hurt him and it would only mean more trouble for his mama. She was already struggling. So, Harley sucked it up, got on with it, and tried to ignore the name-calling or the pushing.

Harley’s grandma would pick him up from school, holding Abbie, take him home and then stick around until his mama came home. Which meant that Harley’s grandma stayed until after Harley fell asleep.

A lot of the time, Harley would run straight to his room to clean up scraped arms or knees. Other times, when the other kids left him alone that day, Harley would sit with his grandma. There wasn’t much to do in Rose Hill, not for kids.  
There was a bingo at the town hall every Friday night, or a little bar. Not really where Harley expected his grandma to take him.

Instead, Harley learned to bake. Well, he couldn’t really do much himself and he’s pretty sure he was responsible for the mess, rather than the cakes or cookies or brownies. But, Harley’s grandma was patient, encouraging him and trying to involve him as much as possible.

Harley’s pretty sure his grandma just felt sorry for him, what with his disappearing act dad and the baby sister that took up everyone’s time, and it’s not like Harley had any friends to invite over or play with.

Some nights, Harley would sit in his room, forcing himself to stay awake, rubbing at his eyes until they were raw, just to make sure his mama came home. He’d never admitted that to anyone, at the time. It would have been embarrassing and they would have looked at him the same way they always did, full of sadness and pity.

It made Harley sick that he made his mama sad all the time, so he learned to keep his feelings down, he learned not to talk about his daddy, or their money, or their house, or any other sensitive subjects. It wasn’t that Harley’s mama made him, he just never wanted to see her hurt again.

Which is why, as he got older, Harley blamed his black eyes on table corners, or his split lip on the swings. It was easier and his mama would be so sad. Well, most of the time, Harley’s mama wasn’t around enough to notice his scrapes and bruises before they healed. But, one Sunday, when she brushed his hair and located a bruise his wild and curly hair had hidden, she’d been so worried about being late for mass, it hadn’t taken a big lie to get her to move on. 

That’s what Harley never understood. After everything that his mama had gone through, how could she still have faith in this invisible god?

Church only meant embarrassment and sadness for Harley.

“Go find your friends for Sunday school,” his mama would always suggest.

And Harley would lie, like he always did.

“I don’t think they’re here this week, mama,”

Harley didn’t have any friends so how could they have been at church?

——

One time, at break, Harley had been forced outside, into the cold, to play with people he’d rather not play with. EJ had been waiting for him.

It had always been pretty difficult to understand, really, why EJ made it his mission to torment him. Harley hadn’t properly spoken to him since they’d gargled baby noises at each other across the rows of church pews. And Harley had always been nice to EJ, he thought his hair was cool, his toys were cool, his clothes were cool. But EJ never seemed to return those feelings, the almost longing for a friendship. 

This one day, Harley really stopped longing for that friendship and just wanted to be left alone.

EJ had been stood there with Danny and George. They hadn’t even waited a minute before they’d grabbed onto Harley, shoving him into the dirty grass and staining his jeans that his mama had only just cleaned. 

“You’re such a loser, Harley,” they’d said, taunting him, as if he hadn’t heard it so many times before. 

They’d kicked him much harder than they’d ever done before. They teased him until they got bored, running off to play soccer or football or whatever else they did, when they weren’t making Harley’s life miserable.

Harley stood up slowly, like he’d done an uncountable amount of times before and moved over to same old bench.

Harley had never fought back. He never ran away. If he did that, they might pick on someone else. Harley would rather they hit and kicked him than someone who couldn’t take it.

And, like always, the teacher had scolded Harley, asking why he’d been so careless.

“Just think of your poor mother! She’ll have to wash your clothes!”

That was all Harley ever did. Think of his poor mama. How much she struggled and how he probably only made it worse.

But Harley couldn’t tell the teacher about what happened. She’d tell his mama and that was the last thing she needed to hear. His mama always worried about him anyway. This would make it so much worse.

——

At the end of the day, Harley met his grandmother, who fussed over his dirty clothes and bruises, giving him strange looks when he blamed it on his clumsiness. She probably knew exactly what was going on. But, Harley gave her a smile and a laugh and distracted her from any of that.

Maybe, the cookies and cake batter she gave him was her way of cheering him up, just in case something was actually wrong. Harley had always liked his grandma. She was warm, cuddly and always smelt of baking.

That was a fresh change from how the house normally was. Empty rooms and silence, plus a weird smell that Harley could never identify. Not until he got a little older. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is absolutely not abandoned, I’ve just been working on other smaller projects that I wanted to get out. I will be updating this, please don’t worry. Thank you for sticking around :) <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please let me know what you think.  
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


End file.
